Internal combustion engines with direct fuel injection are known. For the direct fuel injection, use is made of injection valves, for example piezo injectors, the nozzle needle of which is driven by means of a piezo actuator. Here, a hydraulic transmitter unit is provided between the actuator and the nozzle needle. The deflection of the actuator is converted into a corresponding deflection of the nozzle needle. For this purpose, virtually play-free coupling is necessary between the piezo actuator and the nozzle needle. Such play-free coupling is however difficult to maintain owing to thermally induced changes in length in the piezo injector. If the idle stroke between piezo actuator and nozzle needle is too small, this can result in incomplete closure of the nozzle needle. If the idle stroke between piezo actuator and the nozzle needle is too large, this leads to an increase in the actuation energy required for actuating the piezo injector. From the prior art, it is known for thermally induced changes in length to be compensated by way of a suitable material selection and geometry. This however leads to high manufacturing costs and greatly restricts the structural freedom in the design of the piezo injector.